Discharge extension for hay balers



April 6, 1954 A. MlTzEL 2,674,360 DISCHARGE EXTENSION FOR HAY BALERS Filed Oct. 51, 1952 40 3g 3 ,ka 671) ZZ) 'I IA 3/ 2'5/ I mf I vf 57 53 f6) hh. Z?) y A hul nl 52 N T 45' Z j 4/ 7 4/ E9 INVENTOR. ,404/14 /14/7'254,

Patented Apr. 6, 1954 STAT E S PAT E NT GFI-41C E 2,674,360 DISCHARGE EXTENSION FORHAY Berlins* Adam Mitzel, Glenham, S. Dak. Application caliber-31, 1952, serial No.isi'zssa s o1-aims; (o1. 19a-asf) This; invention` ba'lers and"` more as': they'fare Y* discharged 1 from; the b'aler vand de` positing :t the 1 bales ,inK predetermined position' on thelground.;

It isfamon'g the obj ectsoflth'e invention tov providefaftdischargerextension forIa hay baler which willzguide the balesl'discharged fromlthe balerv and drop .f thebales in afrpredetermined position' i onfthefground;l soi-that each bale lies on aside thereof with'Av the` strands? which bind iti together out of contact,` with th'e ground' to enable a mechanical loadertoeasily-pick up the bales and to;` protect 1 thei strandsori tiesf `from the1 corrosive or*` decaying'eiectsl of v*ground Amoisture and from being out by rodents; which-drops the-bales gent lytor the.I ground tof avoid unduly stretching or breaking i' the" bale ties;" which can be installed othenobjectseand: ladvantages will become-"ape v parent ifronr .a considerationof 4'the following 'dee' scription' and 'the' vappended claims in rconjunc'-V tion with `the accompanying drawing wherein:

FigureV 1` is aperspective portion of a hay baler bale box and an'rexten; sion.: illustrative of the!" in. en-tion-` operatively mounted` oni.: the'vbale box; and f Figure 2 Ais a. top-plan View ofthe bale box portion,l and-Fextension; illustrated in Figure ll.

The bale box, 4generaux/indicated at f Il); of the hay balen` comprisesf a pair ofi.` top: rails I I vandol 2` disposed in: spaced` apart and substantially parallel ,I substantially horizontally disposed when the balerrjisi infvoperative positiono anda# pair of corresponding bottom rails; one-r of' which'l is indcateda at' I 3 ialso` disposed inil f spaced apart and# substantially: parallelKi relationship to eachy other and .spacedrb downwardly'.' from? and sube stantially parallel .to the :corresponding 'top rails 1 gular cross 'sectional shapei The Ltop 'legst`v I 4 1'anfcl 1' I5.of the ltopsangleironf railsrII and!!Ziexterrd'!A inwardlylof'the bale box toward reach' other from the-:corresponding side legs or ,anges at thel top# of the balev box andthe side 1 flanges, asf indi-ry top1=r`ail"|2,= ex- A the iouter Yedges f off thee topfleg,s-y I4 -andf I 5 at T*the =corresp`ondi`ng fsides relates i to.' extensions for hay particularly' tov i a discharge extension" forraf hayfbaler for guiding the balesA View of a .rear endf relationship to@ each yother' and Cil Z, of'th'ebalev box: Thev bottomrails are similarly' arranged, having `bottom legsoranges which extendv inwardly toward each other from the corresponding side legs at tliebottom of the bale box and side legs which extend upwardly from-the outer edges of th'ebottom legs atthe correspondingly opposite sides of the bale box. The four angle ironmembers constituting the top and bottom rails of the bale box constitute guides of'right angularrcrossisectional shape for the'longitudinal :edges ofthe bales, as indica'ted at I'I, forceclthrough` the'bale box.

Bale guides or presses, as indicated at I8 and `i9, extend longitudinally' of the bale box between the top and bottom'railsat the opposite sides ofthe `baleA box in `spaced apart relationship to each other to hold thel side portions ofl the bales 'in shape and corresponding bars or plates yare disposed between the top rails andbetween the bottom f rails'to hold the top` and bottom'sides of the bales'in shape as the bales move rearwardly' through the 'bale 'box to the disch'argeend of the box.

As the constructionof the bale boxes of hay balers iswellknownto thefart, a more detailed illustration and description of this known structure is considered"unnecessary for thepurposes' of thepresent disclosure.V

In hay balers now in use, the top` and bottom rails of the bale `box all 'terminate at'the dischargef end of `the bale boxsubstantially in' a` common plane perpendicular to the longitudinal center lines of the several rails and, with this `construction, the bales are'discharged from `the discharge end` ofv the bale box in an unpredictable" manner, some of the bales being turned so that-'they stand on end on the ground in an' upright 'positiorn others being rolled, so thatthe wire or and 2I, which hold the bales togetherare disposed: against the ground Where they 'are' subject to *corrosionV or decay fromground moisture, or to attack by rodents, and only'a portion of the bales being' deposited on the ground on the sarn'esides which were their bottom sides as they move through the-bale box with their ties disposedV abovejthe ground wh'ere'ithey are not subject to ground moisture orto attacks by Idnts;

It is -an object-of' the present invention to provide an extension at thefrearor discharge endfoil 'the bale box 'which' will guide the bales as'they"leavethe'dischargeend of the bale box in afrna'nner such that the bals'will 'be deposited so as not -to undlyfstretch gently ioni the ground,

twinev ties, as indicated at 20k or break their ties and will be placed on the same sides which were their bottom sides while in the bale box, so that their ties will be disposed above the ground, thus preventing the loss of a large number of the bales between the baling operation and the later gathering and transporting of the bales to a suitable storage location.

The extension illustrated is particularly adapted for installation on an existing baler and comprises a pair of angle iron members 22 and 23 which extend rearwardly respectively from the bottom rails of the bale box. The member 23, as illustrated in Figure l, overlaps at its front end the rear end of the bottom rail I3 of the bale box at the outer side of the bottom rail I3, and is rigidly secured to the bottom rail by suitable means, such as the bolt 24, so that it extends rearwardly from the bottom rail I3 substantially in longitudinal alignment with this corresponding bottom rail. The extension member 22 is similarly connected at its front end to the rear end of the other bottom rail and extends rearwardly therefrom in spaced apart and substantially parallel relationship to the extension member 23.

The extension members 22 and 23 are right angular cross sectional shape and have horlzontally disposed bottom legs or flanges 25 and 255 which extend inwardly toward each other from the bottom edges of the side legs or franges 2l' and 29 which extend upwardly at the respectively opposite sides of the bale box extension. Flat cross members 29 and 39 extend between the extension members 22 and 23 at spaced apart locations along these extension members and are secured at their opposite ends to the extension member legs 25 and 26. At the ends of the extension members 22 and 23 remote from the rear end of the bale box I0, the bottom flanges 25 and 26 of these members are cut away from the corresponding side flanges 21 and 23 and are inclined downwardly from locations spacedl from the rear ends of the extensions to the rear ends of these extensions to provide rearwardly and downwardly inclined ramps 3| and 32 along which the bales slide as the bales are discharged from the rear end of the extension. A flat cross member 33 extends between the ramps 3l and 32 at the rear ends of the ramps and is secured at its respectively opposite ends to the ramps 3| and 32 to support the bottom sides of the bales as the bales slide off of the rear end of the extension. At its opposite ends this cross member 33 is bent perpendicularly upwardly to provide legs, as indicated at 34 and 36, which are secured at their upper ends to the side legs 21 and 28 of the extension members 22 and ,23 to rmly support the ramps 3I and 32 in their inclined position relative to the extension members 22 and 23.

A wicket 36 of rectangular shape is disposed above the bottom rail extensions 21 and 23 intermediate the length of these extensions and includes a substantially straight intermediate portion 31 having a length substantially equal to the distance between the side flanges of the top rails II and l2 of the bale box and substantially straight legs 38 and 39 extending perpendicular ly from the respectively opposite ends of the intermediate portion 31 with their longitudinal center lines substantially in a common plane which also includes the longitudinal center line of the intermediate portion. At their ends remote from the intermediate portion 31 the legs 38 and 39 are connected to the side ilanges of the bottom rail extension members 21 and 28 respectively, by suitable means, such as the bolts 4Q and 4I, and these are inclined upwardly and rearwardly from the corresponding bottom rail extension. An elongated brace 42 is connected at one end to the wicket leg 39 near the upper end of this leg and is connected at its other end to the top rail I2 of the baler for longitudinal adjustment relative to this top rail by suitable means, such as the bolt 43. This brace holds the wicket 36 at selected positions of inclination relative to the bottom rail extensions 21 and 28 with the intermediate portion 31 of the wicket substantially at the level of the top legs or flanges I4 and I5 of the top rails of the bale box.

With this arrangement, as a bale is forced rearwardly out of the discharge end of the bale box, it slides rearwardly along the flanges 25 and 26 of the extensions 22 and 23 until its midlength location passes the front ends of the ramps 3| and 32. At this time, the bale tips so that its end disposed outwardly of the rear end of the extension moves downwardly and its end nearest the bale box I0 moves upwardly and contacts the intermediate portion 31 of the wicket 36. The lower end of the bale will contact the ground slightly before its upper end contacts the upper portion of the wicket, so that engagement of the bale with the ground will drag the bale outwardly of the rear end of the extension and the wicket will hold the bale against tipping over or landing in an upright position with one end on the ground, the bale being gently deposited on the ground with the same side thereof in contact with the ground which constituted the bottom side of the bale, as the bale moves rearwardly through the bale box.

While the members 22 and 23 are illustrated as separate extension members connected to the bottom rails of the bale box, it is to be understood that in manufacturing a new baler, the bottom rails of the bale box may merely be extended rearwardly beyond the rear ends of the top rails to the proper extent without the use of separate extension members, and that even when installing the extension on an existing baler, the extension members may be welded to the rear ends of the bottom rails of the bale box to constitute integral parts of these bottom rails, without in any way exceeding the scope of the invention.

The invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. The present embodiment is, therefore, to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description, and all changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are, therefore, intended to be embraced therein.

What is claimed is:

1. In a hay baler having a bale box including substantially parallel top rails and substantially parallel bottom rails spaced from and substantially parallel to said topy rails; the improvement residing in bale guiding attachment means comprising an extension secured to said bottom rails having a pair of members, each cf said members being in substantial longitudinal alignment with a corresponding bottom rail, rampstructures disposed one at the inner side of each of said members and inclined downwardly from locations spaced from the rear ends of said members to the rear ends thereof, said ramp structures being disposed rearwardly of the rear ends of said top rails, a U-shaped wicket having a substantially straight intermediate portion and substantially straight legs extending perpendicularly from the respectively op-posite ends of said intermediate portion disposed above said extension members with its legs respectively connected at their ends remote from said intermediate portion to said bottom rails between said ramp structures and the rear ends of said top rails for engaging one end of a bale discharged from said bale box and holding the bale against turning or rolling as it slides along and on said ramp structures, and a brace connected between said wicket and one of said top rails to hold said wicket in position with its intermediate portion substantially at the level of the upper portions of said top rails.

2. In a hay baler including a bale box having top rails and bottom rails extending rearwardly7 of the rear ends of said top rails, the improvement residing in a bale guiding attachment means comprising an extension secured to said bottom rails having a pair of members, each of said members being in substantial longitudinal alignment with a corresponding bottom rail, downwardly and rearwardly inclined ramps disposed one at the rear of each of said members for supporting bales moving off the rear ends of said bottom rails, cross members extending between said members at spaced apart locations rearwardly of the rear ends of said top rails, and a wicket connected at its open end to said extension between said ramps and the rear ends of said top rails and extending upwardly from said extension and transversely of the space therebetween to the level of the upper portions of said top rails.

3. In a hay baler including a bale box having top rails and bottom rails extending rearwardly of the rear ends of said top rails, the improvement residing in a bale guiding attachment means comprising an extension secured to said bottom rails having a pair of members, each of said members being in substantial longitudinal alignment with a corresponding bottom rail, downwardly and rearwardly inclined ramps disposed one at the rear end of each of said members for supporting bales moving 01T the rear ends of said extension, a wicket connected at its open end to said members between said ramps and the rear ends of said topI rails and extending upwardly from said members and transversely of the space therebetween to the level of the upper portions of said rails, and brace means connected between said wicket and said bale box supporting said wicket in an upwardly and rearwardly inclined position relative to said bottom rails.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,441,352 Johnson Jan. 9, 1923 1,542,651 Allessandro June 16, 1925 1,677,490 Raney et al July 17, 1928 1,749,843 Roark Mar. 11, 1930 2,410,516 Messenger et al Nov. 5, 1946 2,431,392 Russell Dec. 2, 1947 2,531,560 De Tall Nov. 28, 1950 2,571,365 Hughes Oct. 16, 1951 

